Community
from the Editor
What is Community? Where do we draw the line between one group and another? How do we strike a balance between competing communal interests? When does collective wellbeing take precedence over individual liberty? Who decides? In this issue, we tackle the nuances, contradictions, and tensions inherent in society’s diverse conceptions of community. In particular, we focus upon the relationship between these concepts and QM’s core subject: sexuality.
Activist Jimmy Bangash seeks to resolve the conflict between Muslim and LGBT communities in our cover story: Islamic Homophobia is Empowered by Leftist Silence. Backed up by data, statistics, and real life examples, Bangash makes the contentious but ultimately compelling case that defenders of sexual and romantic liberty cannot afford to ignore the threat posed by Islamism. Muslims have a responsibility to reform their religion, he contends, but there is also a role for ex-Muslims and non-Muslims in standing up against Islamic homophobia. According to Bangash, it serves neither the Muslim nor LGBT community when those who do so are slandered as “Islamophobic.”
Rebecca Davey explores the tension between two other communities in her essay Feminism and Inclusivity in the BDSM Communities of Western Literature. By highlighting important examples, Davey analyzes the development of feminist influence in literary depictions of bondage, dominance, and sadomasochism communities. At the heart of her inquiry is a search for equilibrium between authentic BDSM expression and feminist values, between the fetishization of hierarchical power dynamics and equality of the sexes.
Sexism impacts men too. Contrary to currently-trendy iterations of feminism which characterize men as “privileged” and thus downplay their problems, Tania Reynolds demonstrates the importance of including men in discussions of communal wellbeing in her piece Man Up And Take It: Do We Under-Detect Men’s Suffering?
We aim to break down barriers between communities by calling for a move Beyond Tribalism and by reimagining The Future of the Ally. We delve into the relationship between race and community in Black Families Through Queer Eyes and The In-Between: Black Love and Interracial Dating. Our regular columnists Talia Squires and Zachary Zane are back, along with new Painted Stories and Business of Sex profiles. Finally, our second Artist Feature rounds out the issue.
Published Mar 18, 2021
